Bandage wrap



NQV 25, 969 J. A. sMlTm-:Rs ET Al. 3,480,012

BANDAGE WRAP Filed Feb. 27. 1967 INVENTOR. JOHN A. SMITHERS 8| WILLIAMA.MURRAY United States Patent O 3,480,012 BANDAGE WRAP John" A.Smithers,` 741 23rd Ave. Court, and William A.

Murray, 3205 15th St. A, both of Moline, Ill. 61265 Filed Feb. 27, 1967,Ser. No. 618,810 Int. Cl. A61f 13/06; A61m 15/00 6 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Field of invention The presentinvention relates to an improved bandage or wrap used in athletic andmedical fields and which does not require a tape or other tacky materialto hold the wrap on the body.

Description of the prior art In U.S. Patent 3,255,749 which issued toJohn A. Smithers on June 14, 1966, there is shown and described abandage or wrap composed of a fabric surface on one side fand a softrubber liner on the opposite side. There is provided on the liner sideof the wrap patches of minute hook elements that project therefrom andmay be imbedded in the fabric side of the wrap. The patch at the initialend of the wrap is placed a distance equal to the full turn of the bodypart to be wrapped so that the wrap may be anchored to the body partafter its first turn. The wrap at the opposite end is so placed that thewrap at the end may be anchored to itself by pressing the hook elementsinto the fabric surface at the end of the final turn. U.S. Patent3,086,529 shows a bandage in which the hooklik elements are imbedded ina patch having loops projecting therefrom.

Ih the former of the above types of wraps, the hook elements mustproject from the soft rubber liner side of theiwrap since they mustcontact the fabricside of the wrap. Consequently, the initial patch mustbe placed at a distance from the end equal to the distance of thecircumfernce of the partof the body to be wrapped. This limits theiuseof the particular wrap to one or only a few of the different parts ofthe body. Also the wrap cannot be reversed so that either end may be theinitial or terminal end when placed around a body part. The problem withthe" other type of wrap is that the patches of hooks and loops must beexactly placed thereby requiring different parts of the body as well asdifferent sizes of each part of the body.

It has further been found that as the bandage or wrap is stretched ittends to pull on the patch and the extreme oufer edge of the patch andwrap will often curl outwardly 'slightly due to this tension in thewrap. With an active person, this creates a condition in which the patchmay become loosened.

SUMMARY With the above in mind, it is the purpose of the presentinvention to provide a wrap adapted to be wrapped around a body part amultitude of times having crimped fibers on opposite surfaces. Onopposite ends and on opposite sides 3,480,012 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 ICCof the wrap are patches of hook elements that may be imbedded into thesurface of the fabric to hold both the initial turn of the wrap on thebody as well as anchoring the final or terminal end of the wrap to asurface of the wrap.

It is afurther purpose of the invention to provide a pair of patches atthe terminal end of the wrap spaced a short lengthwise distance apart sothat in the final wrap the patch spaced from the end will resistslippage of the wrap andthe patch at the extreme end may be insertedinto the fabric surface without tension being applied on the patch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is an edge view of the bandage.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the wrap as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the patch sections incontact with the fabric surface.

FIG. 4is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing removal of the patch from thefabric.

FIG. 5 is a View showing a lbody part with the Wrap being applied in itsinitial stages.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the wrap in its final stageof application.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modified form of theinvention.

Referring now to the drawings, the wrap is composed of an elongatedfabric 10 and a pair of patches or sections 12, 13 on the extremeopposite ends of the Wrap and on opposite sides thereof. The fabric wrap10 itself is composed in its preferred form of synthetic organic fibersgenerally of the polyamide or nylon class with each fiber beingrelatively long. The fibers are best indicated in their looped conditionat 20 in FIGS. 3 and 4. The organic fibers are woven into a crimpedfabrication preferably yieldable in a lengthwise direction. Rubberelements may be inserted in the wrap in a lengthwise direction to givethe wrap lengthwise resilience. In the crimped type weave, theindividual fibers are generally in relaxed condition and provide shortexposed lengths that eventually become the loops 20 shown in FIG. 4,that accommodate or complement the adhering characteristics of thepatches or sections 12, 13. Consequently, the fabric wrap 10 serves notonly as a resiliently yieldable basic support, but also as a part of theadhering or locking portion of the wrap.

The patch sections 12, 13 are generally identical in characteristics.They are composed of a base layer 22 of a nylon material. Extending fromthe surface of the base layer 22 are a multitude of short minute nylonadhering elements 23 with outer hook ends. The patches 12, 13 are maleVelcro patches. The elements 23 may also be made of nylon and may yield,bend, or distort upon sufficient pressure being exerted thereon. Thehook elements cover the entire areas of the patches 12, 13. However, thepatches are slightly recessed from opposite edges 24, 25 of the wrap. d

The method of applying the wrap to the body part, here shown as a knee,is to begin with the anchor or initial end laying against the leg withthe patch 12 facing outwardly, and to extend the Wrap 10 around the bodypart so that it is slightly stretched lengthwise. The first step orprocedure is best shown in FIG. 5. While the portion is in a stretchedcondition, the fabric or wrap is laid against the patch 12 with slightpressure so that the hook elements 23 are implanted into the fabricfibers as shown in FIG. 3. This action Will anchor the initial end ofthe wrap on the leg. Wrapping may then continue, using the initial oranchor end as a base to pull against, by crossing above and below theknee at intervals until the entire wrap is used, as shown in FIG. 6, atwhich time the end patch 13 is pressed into the fabric and the hookelements implanted into the fibers so that the end of the Wrap is heldin a fixed relation to the remainder of the wrap.

There are several features believed to be important relative to thesuccessful operation of the wrap. Of particular importance is thegenerally long length of the fibers in the fabric portion of the wrap.The fibers must be of such length that they Will operate ascomplementary to the hook elements 23. The weave of the fabric must besuch that individual elements or fibers are sufficiently relaxed thatthe hook elements 23 may penetrate beneath the fibers for connectionthereto. It is believed necessary that the fibers of the fabric must beat least three-fourths inch long, to obtain the necessary anchoring oradhering characteristic relative to the hook elements.

Important also is the basic feature that there is a cornplete mechanicaladhering between the patches and the wrap. Consequently, the necessityof using tape or adhesive and tacky compounds is not required. As aresult, the discomfort of having the body in contact with the compoundsis eliminated.

In removing the wrap it is necessary only to pull the end patch 13substantially as shown in FIG. 5. The hook elements will bend out andthe fiber loops 20 will yield or pull out of the fabric until the hooksare detached from the fabric.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 7 there is providedpatches 16, 17 having minute hook elements spaced lengthwise shortdistances from the respective end patches 12, 13 and 0n the same side ofthe wrap 10 as the respective patches 12, 13. Assuming the wrap iswrapped on the body part so that the patches 13, 17 are on the terminalend or final turn of the wrap, the patch 17 will anchor the final turnto prevent slippage of the wrap. The patch 13, without being undertension may then be inserted into the fabric and serves only to hold theend of the wrap between patches 17 and 13 onto an outer surface of aninner wrap turn. Consequently, the outer end will not curl as wouldoccur if the patch was under tension. Also, if the patch 13 shouldbecome loose the patch 17 would hold and the patch 13 could then beagain inserted without any loosening of the wrap. This feature isimportant when the wrap is used by athletes in contact sports. The patch16 lis provided so that the wrap may be reversed.

The wrap may be used in reverse order at different times. In other Wordsthere is no necessity of wrapping or unwrapping the wrap in a specificmanner. So long as either of the patches 12, 13 is placed upwardly inthe first turn of the wrap around the body part, the remainder of thewrap will function and wrap properly.

What is claimed is:

`1. A fabric wrap adapted to wrap around a body part a multitude oftimes with an initial end portion disposed next to the body, and beingcomposed of a narrow and elongated fabric having crimped fibers exposedto opposite surfaces, patches of minute hook elements on and projectingoutwardly from the surfaces of the wrap at opposite end portions thereofwith the hook elements projecting from opposite surfaces at therespective opposite end portions, and with the hook elements at theinitial end portion of the wrap projecting outwardly in respect to thebody part to engage and grip the crimpedfibers on an underside of thewrap as it is wrapped around the body, and the hook elements of the partof the patches on the terminal end portion of the wrap projectinglinwardly in respect to the body part and adapted to contact and gripthe fibers of the outer surface of the wrap that is under the latterpatch when the wrap is in its wrapped condition.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in whichl the' patches at eachend of the wrap are at the extreme ends thereof Awhereby the wrap may bereversed to permit either end thereof to be the initial end portion andeither end thereof to be the terminal end thereof.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by theterminal end portion having two patches, one at its extreme end andanother spaced from the end a short distance whereby the latter patchwill anchor the end portion against slippage and the patch at theextreme end will normally hold the extreme end on the upper surface ofan under wrap.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3 in which the patches at theinitial end portion includes a patch at the extreme end and a patchspaced a short distance therefrom rwhereby either end portion may be theinitial end and the terminal end.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which the fabric isresilient in at least its lengthwise direction.

6. A fabric wrap adapted to wrap around a body part having crimpedfibers on its outer surface in respect to the body part being wrapped;and a pair of patches spaced lengthwise along and mounted on the wrapadjacent its terminal end when the wrap is wrapped, with each patchbeing composed in part of minute hook elements extending inwardly inrespect to the body part and adapted to engage and grip the crimpedfibers of the wrap surface upon engagement of the patches therewith.

References Cited OTHER REFERENCES 3,086,529 4/1963 Munz et al. 128--1713,255,749 6/1966 Smithers 128--169 ADELEI M. EAGER, Primary ExaminerU.S. C1. X. R.

